Oil well bailer



April 23, 1940.

w. TARKINGTON OIL WELL BAILER Filed March 20, 1939 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 FIGII FIGIV April 23, 1940.

w. TARKINGTON. 2,198,490

OIL WELL BAILER Filed March 20, 1939 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR.

FIG 1/11 f Patented pr. 23, 19

(FATE OFFICE Application March 20,"

3 Claims.

My invention relates to improvements in well bailers of the pressuretype for cleanout purposes, operable by any usual suspension means,which are usually constructed with a closed top' 5 provided with arelief valve, a casing with the upper part of its annular spaceconverted into a pressure chamber, and a valve below the pressurechamber, and attached next below, a. casing having a bailer bottom valveof conventional type, the valve between the chambers operating toprevent fluid in the well bore from entering the empty chamber of thebailer casing containing atmospheric pressure until obstructing matterof a solid or semisolid nature is contacted by the bailer shoe, withconsequent opening of said valve; and to load through action of thefluid static pressure within the bore of the well, and to discharge theload at the surface underpressure.

The general object of my invention is to .provide an efiective means forpermitting the bailer to descend through the fluid rapidly under adverseconditions, quick and certain loading of the bailer from the sand,shale, gravel, or similar obstructions; to trap same within the casing;to withdraw same from the well, and to rapidly and efiectively dischargethe material at the surface by means of pressure trapped in the bailerand brought up from the well bottom.

One other object is to provide a pressure bailer having the facility ofbailing wells having a relatively low fluid head pressure, as well asthose having a high fluid head pressure. Effectiveness in both types ofwells is'essential to general utility.

A further object is to provide an eflicient bailer having as fewadjustments as possible that require the operators attention, and toprovide a fast operating well tool with a reciprocating 4U sleeve valvebetween the pressure chamber and the loading chamber, having means ofadjusting itself to wells having both high and low fluid levels; abailer that can be lowered at high speed through the well fluid withoutdanger of opening the valve and communicating the well pressure to thepressure chamber before bottom is encountered, is a primary object. Therapid discharge of the loaded bailer, the closing of the pressurechamber valve and opening the valve for relief of loading chamberalternately for a repeat operation by merely suspending the bailer, areimportant objects.

A still further object is to provide the noses-- sary parts, viz., a topand relief valve, a sleeve valve for isolating a chamber, and a balletbot- 1939, Serial No. 262,877

tom valve which combined with the usual pump casing sections on hand atthe well to be bailed, an efiicient cleanout pressure bailer may bequickly assembled; the valves also being adaptable to special bailercasings.

Further objects appear herein. 1

Figure I is a longitudinal sectional view of applicants bailer. FigureII is an enlarged longitudinal sectional view of the valve between theupper or low pressure chamber and the lower or load chamber ofapplicant's device. Figure III is a section taken on section III-III ofFigure II. Figure IV shows a dump key for use in unloading the bailer.-Figure V is a longitudinal sectional view of another embodiment of myinvention. Figure VI shows an enlarged sectional view of the valvebetween the upper and lower chambers of the embodiment shown in FigureV. Figure VII shows a section taken on section VII-VII of Figure VI.

Fig. I shows the combination having a closed top with a relief valve andswivel for cable connection, numerals l-ll, inclusive, and operable bymeans of a cable and hoist (not shown), the top and swivel beingthreadedly connected to casing 2. The combined top and swivel isprovided with a relief valve comprising a helical spring 8A, a ballvalve ll under a set-screw l, and disc t, said set screw threaded forregulating pressure, and a seat for the ball valve H. The seat isthreadedly attached into an opening at ill. The swivel comprises a baill with a head 6 and rod 6, housed in shell 2, said shell being providedwith openings 3 and 5 for fluidcirculation. The head 6 cooperating withopenings 3 and 5, has free longitudinal movement and swiveling effect tocompensate for torque in wire cables when connected to especially thelarger sizes of bailers. The shell 2 is cast in two pieces and weldedtogether. Set screw 7 for adjustment of pressure is accessible byspecial wrench through opening 5. Pressure outlet for relief is shown at9. a The helical spring 8-A provides for predetermined reserve pressureon valve ball ll operating to retain well pressure in chamber l2 forpurposes shown herein. A reciprocating sleeve valve, Fig. II, havingconcentric outer and inner cylindrical elements is attached by any usualmeans (preferably threaded) to the bottom of pressure chamber casing l2at 53, and to the top of loading casing 21. The detail of constructionof the reciprocating sleeve valve is shown in Fig. II and Fig. III, thevalve' comprising an outer cylindrical element l1 connected to-loaldingcasing 21 and an inner cylindrical element I connected to pressurechamber casing l2. longitudinal movement of element I4 wlthinelement Wis limited by circumferential abutments on element I! oooperating withan external outside circumferential flange I4A on element Itintermediate the ends of element 3.. On the lowermost end por= tion ofelement M an inner valve member l9 with valve ports 23 therein isformed. The limited reciprocal movement of element l4 within element I1is adapted to reciprocally alternatively open and close ports IS inelement i! see Figure 11, as flange i4-A flts snugly yet slidably withinelement H to act as a. closure for ports l6. An intermediate sleevevalve member 45 is mounted within outer cylindrical element llbelow-port l6 and inner cylindrical element 54 is slidably mountedwithin the intermediate sleeve valve member. Ports 23 in the inner valvemember on the lowermost end portionoi element I4 are adapted to registerwith ports 25 in the intermediate sleeve valve member wheninner-cylindrical member I4 is telescoped within/outer cylinder memberI! and when the valve parts it and Il are in extended position valveports 23' are closed being moved into the upper imperforate portion ofintermediate sleeve 45. There are four ports 23 in valve member it andfour port: 25-26 in intermediate sleeve valve member 5.

The valve parts I4 and l! are telescoped together under the weight ofthe pressure casing and top attached by any usual means to the valveelement l4 to register ports 23 and 25, the inner-valve element l4 beingattached to move downwardly within the intermediate sleeve valve memberwhen the shoe 29 on the bottom of bailer valve engages sand or othermaterial of a solid nature while lowering the bailer. Ports 23 and 25are held in alignment by means'of a key 20 and cooperating key-way it onthe elements l4 and II, respectively. A set screw 31 extends throughelement i! into port 26 in sleeve 45 to hold the sleeve againstrotation. Intermediate valve member 45 engages packing gasket 2| and thedownwardly facing abutment formed in element I! at one end thereof. Thelower end of member 45 rests on the upper end of casing 21 threaded intoelement ll. Casing 21 is threaded into element l1 and threaded upwardlyto flrmly engage and hold the sleeve 45 within element IT. Theintermediate inner valve member 45 is constructed of. bronze orstainless steel to prevent corrosion and to permit renewal, and isprovided with four longitudinal conduits one being 35-18. to permitpassage of fluid from load chamber. Intermediate member 45 has avertical fluid passage 22A communicating its lower end with port 26 andopening outwardly at the upper end of the member 45 through a shallowchannel in the upper face of the intermediate valve member.

To communicate with port It in the outer cylinder element H, the upperportion of fluid passage 22-A is enlarged and in-this enlarged portionis a ball valve seat at the lower end thereot.

side inner valve member is, is provided with solid type packing rings,38 and 22. Packing ring 39 is followed by close fitting metal sleeve23--A, having four ports adapted to ali vim the four ports formed in theinside inner valve member it by slot and pin 4BA, a packing ring 22follows 23-A, and a close fitting metal sleeve 40 follows packing ring22. The metal sleeve 46 extends slightly past the lowermost part of isto permit adjustment. A metal disc .42 with opening for stud, following48 and a stud with retain ing nut 24, screwed into lowermost part of iscooperating with slot and pin d--A, provide an adjustment for thepackings. When the valve in operation contacts fluid while descen in awell, the action of the fluid pressure against the disc 42, urges bothmetal sleeves and two packing rings upwardly, operating to tighten bothpacking rings automatically against the inside wall oi intermediatevalve member 45 and the outer surface of the inside inner valve memberi9, insuring no slippage of fluid into the empty pressure casing, whilesubmergence is taking place. As the bailer emerges from the fluid, theconfined high pressure in the pressure chamber acts to distend thepackings 39 and 22 from the four ports one being numbered 23, reservingthe pressure in the pressure chamber, the urged packing rings having thesame packing effect between the members 45 and it as in submergence.

A bailer bottom valve is threadedly attached to casing 21. The valvecomprises a shoe 29 with sleeve 28 threaded thereinto and having anopening 3l-A in one side. Shoe as has an opening 3| adapted to registerwith opening 3l-A in the sleeve 28. Removable combined partition andseat 32 is seated within shoe 29 and carries flap valve 3!! forretaining the load in the loading chamber. Openings are ads. to registerby manually operated means by rotating the sleeve 28 relative to thebailer shoe it until opening 3I-A is in alignment with opening 8i whichis shown in a peripheral view at Fig. I.

When lowering the bailer shown in Fig. I into an oil well having fluidhead with, the pressure chamber casing section oi" the bailer closed toexclude fluid by means of its closed top with relief valve, and thereciprocating sleeve valve in its closed position, the bailer has abuoyanttehdency when submerged in the well fluid. The loing chambersection of the casing attached to the lowermost end oi the reciprocatingsleeve valve has provision for free passagenof fluid upwardly throughthe one-way bottom iler valve, inclusive, through casing 21. hrough ope22-a and it, into the we as the bailer downwardly, thereby retai ing thereciprocating sleeve valve elements relatively extended with inner valvemember ports closed, to prevent fluid from enterin the pressure chamber.The -ar= rested downward movement oi loading chamber casing 21 underweight or pressure chamber cas ing l2 results in a sudden telescopicmovement downward of element it with consequent registry of ports 23with 28, in the intermediate valve member and closing of openings it and22-h,

thereby communicating the well pressure timh the registered valve portsinto the pressure chamber casing i2, causing a dynamic inrush of sand,shale, and fluid thgough the one-way tto bailer valve and intothesection 01 the casing to be trapped by bottom bailer e while er is 1 1arreaaeo :3

A major porion of the air compressed in the uppermost of easing l2 iffluid pressure is sufficient for loading at one impact will bedischarged into the well through relief valve ll, permitting increasedinflux of the bailed material into the loading chamber. When the baileris'elevated for a repeat impact should the fluid pressure be low.

or for withdrawal from the well, the telescopic elements in thereciprocating sleeve valve are relatively extended by means of thesuspended weight of loading chamber casing 21 and either the wellpressure is trapped within the pressure chamber casing 12 or the lowpressure retained for successive impacts by means of the closed ports inthe inner valve members of the reciprocating sleeve valve. Afterloading, if an excessive well pressure be trapped in the loading chambercasing 2'! the pressure is permitted to escape while emerging from thewell fluid through openings 22-a and IS. The bailer, with the desiredretained ejecting pressure or equalized pressure in the pressure chamber12, and the material in the loading chamber casing 21 trapped by thebottom bailer valve, is withdrawn from the well for discharge in theusual manner. The bottom bailer valve withdrawn from the well mouth isopened by manual rotation on a dump key and the retained pressure in thecasing I2 becomes efiective through the opened valve ports of thesupported bailer in the loading chamber below with consequent ejectionof the bailed material.

Fig. V shows a sectional side view of a modified embodiment employing myinvention, comprising a closed bailer top 48 having means for cableattachment, provided with a usual ball relief valve 53, said top beingthreadedly connected, substantially air-tight to the uppermost end ofpressure chamber casing 55. To the lowermost end of casing is attachedby'any usual means, a modifled construction of the reciprocating sleevevalve shown at Fig. VI, to the bottom of which is attached a loadingchamber casing 16 with a oneway conventional bailer bottom valveconnected to the lowermost end of said casing, numerals 78-84,inclusive, Fig. V., The reciprocating sleeve valve shown in Fig. VI,comprises concentric telescopically connected elements 51 and 63concentrically located and adapted for limited longitudinal movement. Aflanged perimeter 5lA formed on 51, is adapted to move betweencircumferential abutments at 80 and 65 on the outer telescopic element63, one being on the lower end of the containing nut 59. Thereciprocating sleeve valve is shown in a relatively extended positionwith inner valve ports closed. The elements are adapted to registerports formed in 51-3, to form an inner valve member 88169, and 85, withports in 83-A of element 63 to form a cooperating intermediate valvemember, numerals H, I2, and 14. The ports are held in alignment by meansof a key-way in the flange 5l-A formed on element 51, key 6| andco-operating key-way in wall of 63. The cylindrical inner sleeve valvemembers are concentrically located, the inner 7 sleeve valve member5l--B being integrally attached or formed on the lowermost end ofelement 51, and its cooperating intermediate valve member ;63A withports 68, 69, and 85, being formed on lowermost end portion of element,SL-B. The inner sleeve valve member 5'I-B is closed at its lowermostend at 88, by any usual means, or preferably formed solid. Theintermediate valve member 63A is open at its lowermost end. Thepartition formed within element i3 having outer conduits 13, 81, and 15by attaching the threaded loading casing '58 to the valve is providedwith openings 61 and 6d. The purpose of said openings are to'form avalve to reciprocally open and close, cooperating with inner sleevevalve members having ports as shown. 'In order i to prevent corrosionfrom saline elements in the well fluid, the outer valve element 63 withintermediate valve member 63A formed thereon is constructed of stainlesssteel, and should have a close sliding flt with inner valve member5.l-B, 1 fluid-tight, and said inner valve memberprovided with bakeliteor other composition compression packing rings 66 and 1D, to prevent anyslippage of fluid into pressure chamber while under pressure. I

The modified bailer shownin Figure V, is lowered into the. well by meansof cable'or' other means (not shown) until the material to be bailed iscontacted. When the bailer encounters the fluid'head in descending intothe well bore, 2 passage for fluid is permitted through the onewaybottom bailer valve, and the bailer loadin casing 16, and throughopenings El and 64, intothe well fluid in order to permit rapid descentthrough fluid head adding momentum and ve- 2 locity to the emptypressure chamber, preventing the telescopic contraction and opening ofthe reciprocating sleeve valve portions in the inner sleeve valvemembers before sand, shale, .or other material to be bailed isencountered. The fluid 3 pressure against the closed head 88 acts alsoto prevent telescoping of the telescopic elements before the arrest ofshoe 82. The packing rings 63 and 10 carried on inner valve member 5? bymeans of fluid pressure, applied to one edge and 3 the inside surface ofsaid rings, tighten against the wall of the inner valve member 63Aformed on element 63 and on one side of the ring seat to prevent fluidslippage through ports and into the pressure chamber. In emerging, therings 4 distend by pressure in the pressure chamber through the portsand operate to hold the pressure in the chamber. The momentum of theloading chamber with the free passage of fluid accelerates the momentumof the empty pressure 4 chamber carried above. When the material orobstruction in a well is contacted by shoe 82, the telescopic elementsof the modified reciprocating sleeve valve are relatively telescoped'and the ports 68, 69, and 85, register with ports H, '12, 5 and is,closing openings 64 and 61 permitting a dynamic ingress of fluid fromthe loading chamber into the pressure chamber, with consequent loadingunder pressure of the loading chamber from the sand, shale, orother'obstruc- 5 tion. When the bailer is elevated for a second impactshould the fluid be low or to be withdrawn from the, well, thereciprocating sleeve valve inner ports are closed by the suspended,..weight of the loading casing, the high or low 0 pressure is reserved inthe pressure chamber, but the pressure is released from the loadingcasing through openings 64 and 61 when the bailer is emerging from thewell fluid. If repeat impacts are essential to loading, the remainder ofthe 6 empty pressure chamber is reserved, until the pressure breaksunder the'bottom shoe of the bailer to complete the loading operation.The I bottom bailer valve on reaching the surface is permitted to reston any suitable holding key 7 usually a rod (not shown) passed throughopenings 83 and 84 with the ends of the rod held securely, while thesleeve 19 is rotated to register I port with Ht-A. The pressure from thepressure chamber casing 55 or the supported bailer is I Ill subsequentlycommunicated downwardly through the loadingchamber through registeredports in the inner valve members, the downward movement of 63reciprocally closing port openings 64 and 81 and permitting no escape ofthe air or gas contained in the bailer through said openings. Thiscauses the quick ejection of the matter in the loading chamber of thebailer, if pressure is suiflcient, in the same manner of operationexplained pertaining to Figure I the first embodiment described.

Figure II shows a sectional side view of the reciprocating sleeve valvewhich is best adapted to the operation of the larger diametrical sizesof the bailer illustrated in Figure I in which embodiment I prefer toconstruct the reciprocating sleeve valve with an interchangeable valvesleeve. In another embodiment shown in Figure VI, the reciprocatingsleeve valve is employed above the loading chamber and below thepressure chamber of a pressure bailer, same as shown at Figure I. Thetype of construction of the reciprocating sleeve valve shown at FigureVI has the advantage of more readily loading and unloading through theinner member ports of the reciprocating sleeve valve when constructed inthe smaller diametrical sizes, and may be constructed of stainless steelin smaller and more efiicient diametrical sizes to correspond to manywell bores.

In both constructions of the reciprocating sleeve valve, its performanceis similar, whether operated by a cable (not shown) or other means.

The present invention may take other forms of construction, but theconstructions herein presented with the appended claims, are onlyembodiments, therefore, I do not wish to be restricted in the practiceof my invention as applied to well clean-out tools, or limited in theclaims thereof.

What I claim is:

1. In a pressure bailer for bailing oil wells, an upper or prmsurechamber and a lower or loading chamber connected together by atelescopic sleeve valvecomprising inner and outer tubular elementsslidably connected together for limited longitudinal movement to open orclose the valve, a tubular partition fixedly mounted in the outerelement at a point intermediate its ends and snugly mounting the sideported lower end portion of the inner element for slidable movementtherein, the lower end of the inner element being closed, side ports inthe partitionopening inwardly thereoi. at a point intermediate its endsand opening downwardly into the loading chamber, a. side port in theouter element above the partition, a flange on the inner element abovethe partition, an abutment on the upper end of the outer elementlimiting upward movement of the inner element as the flange engages theabutment, cooperating means on the inner and outer elements permittingrelative longitudinal movement but preventing relative rotative movementof the valve elements operable to align the side ports in the partitionand the inner element to 7 I open the valve when the elements aretelescoped,

an auxiliary longitudinal'passage in the partition spaced from the mainbore thereof and communicating the loading chamber with the outerelement above the partition, a spring pressed upwardly opening valve inthe 'aumliary passage,

scoped to communicate between the upper and lower chambers.

2. In a pressure bailer for bailing oil wells, an upper or pressurechamber and a lower or loading chamber, connected by a telescopic sleevevalve comprising inner and outer tubular eleinents slidably connectedtogether for limited longitudinal movement to open or close the valve,said elements having ports in each adapted to register, said innerelement connected to and communicating with the pressure chamber abovethe valve and extending downwardly and snugly fitting within the portedpartition in said outer element communicating to the load chamber, saidinner element provided with packing means carried on the lowermost endthereof, comprising solid packing rings associated with metal sleeves,said packing rings being mounted above and below the ports and spaced bymeans of a metal sleeve having corresponding ports and means to preventrelatively rotative movement of said metal sleeve on the inner elementand slidably mounted thereon, fixedly held between a flanged shoulderand a cooperating nut and washer, and operating so that when the baileris exposed to well fluid pressure the packing means are pressed upwardlyrelative to said inner element, and the imperforate cylindrical wall ofsaid outer element to form a seal between the pressure and loadingchambers. i

3. In a pressure bailer for bailing oil wells, an upper or pressurechamber and a lower or loading chamber connected together by atelescopic sleeve valve comprising inner and outer tubular elementsslidably connected together for limited longitudinal movement to open orclose the valve,

a tubularpartition fliredly mounted in the outer element at a pointintermediate its ends and snugly mounting the side ported lower endportion of the inner element for slidable movement therein, packingmeans carried above and below the side ported end of said inner element,the lower end of the inner element being closed, side ports in thepartition opening inwardly thereof at a point intermediate its ends andopening downwardly into the loading chamber, a side port in the outerelement above the partition, a flange on the inner element above thepartition, an abutment on the upper end of the outer elementlimitingupward movement of the inner element as the flange engages theabutment, cooperating means on the inner and outer elements permittingrelative longitudinal movement but preventing relative rotative movementof the valve elements operable to align the side ports in the partitionand the inner element to open the valve when the elements aretelescoped, an auxiliary longitudinal passage in the partition spacedfrom the main bore thereof and communicating the load chamber with theouter element above the partition, a downwardly and upwardly openingvalve in the auxiliary passage, the flange on the inner element openingand closing the passage in the outer element partition alternately whenthe valve is reciprocated to establish and break communication betweenthe upper and lower chambers.'

' WILSON TARKING'I'ON;

